Samsung Galaxy Note: Is Bigger Better?

Samsung Galaxy Note v iPhone size comparison

The Samsung Galaxy Note has the biggest screen of any smart phone anywhere ever... and it might not ever be beaten either. Get much bigger than the monster 5.3 inch screen of the Note and you're practically a tablet, like it or not. So if your philosophy when it comes to phone screens is the bigger the better, then you're not going to be disappointed with Samsung Galaxy Note phone deals. However, there are some drawbacks which are also worth considering.

Pocket Sized?

For one thing, you're going to need pretty big pockets to be able to carry this beast around with you. It is thin and surprisingly light, but the width and length make it better suited for the inside pocket of a jacket or even a bag instead of the side pocket of your trousers.

If getting the Galaxy Note in to your pocket is a physical difficulty, taking it out might cause a bit of embarrassment. Not that it's badly made or looks cheap, of course... but again, you really have to understand how big this thing is! It doesn't exactly look like it's phone sized anymore, it looks like something else... something alien almost. It might provoke the odd sideways glance is basically what we're trying to say. A double take here and there.

Is it Worth It?

So okay, there are definitely some downsides to having such a large screen. There are also some good things about it though of course. For instance, watching videos on it is great. It has a sumptuous 1280 x 800 pixel resolution making every image crystal clear, and Samsung's acclaimed AMOLED technology makes colours vibrant and blacks deep. With the screen as big as it is, you can actually become immersed in what you're watching, which is sometimes tough on a phone.

With a screen this large you also need a processor powerful to run it properly, and the Samsung Galaxy Note certainly has that too with a 1.4GHz dual-core processor. This makes operations smooth, and apps open quickly. Any slowness in web browsing will probably be down to the internet connection rather than the phone itself. The Note comes with 3G and wi-fi capabilities.

The phone runs on Android's 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, although an Ice Cream Sandwich update is now available. This is overlaid with Samsung's TouchWiz User Interface. It doesn't make a huge difference to be honest, which is good because Android in its pure form is usually the best.

There's an 8 megapixel camera which can also take 1080p HD video and a Voice Talk app which operates like the iPhone's Siri feature, enabling you to control the phone with your voice. This is not entirely reliable though.

Samsung Galaxy Note: S Memo

The Galaxy Note also comes with a lot of bloatware unfortunately, and you'll probably want to spend a bit of time figuring out what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of. If you're going to get this phone though then one of the main reasons may well be for the S Memo app which allows you to sketch, jot things down, do a little drawing – which on a big screen you can actually make look pretty good. A stylus also comes with it, and while you might think that we've come past that kind of technology, it actually is really helpful on the Galaxy Note. It means you can be that bit more accurate than you can be with your finger, so if you like making notes or drawing little pictures while you're out and about, and want to be able to put them in your calendar or maybe share them on Facebook or Twitter, this phone is fantastic for that.

For the full specs, check out Samsung's website.

Battery Life

This brings us, unfortunately, to one aspect you have to consider when considering this phone that might be enough to put you off. All smart phones have an issue with battery life of course, since they do so many functions, using up a lot of energy. However, to power the Galaxy Note's dual-core processor and extra large screen really takes it out of the battery and you might only get 12 hours out of it with just moderate use.

So long as you're not going to be away from a plug socket for a long period of time, it's not really a problem but if you're going to be away from a charging source for long periods of time you'll have to come up with some kind of strategy to deal with this issue. A car charger might do the trick, perhaps. It's an issue you have to consider though.

Summary

If you love big screens on an Android you're going to love this phone, it's as simple as that. Yes, there are problems, but they're the problems you would expect with a screen of this size. If the big screen is enough for you to look past these potential difficulties, it's definitely worth checking out the Samsung Galaxy Note monthly contract deals and Samsung Galaxy Note white deals that are available online.